


You come here often?

by CardinalCopia



Category: Control (Video Game)
Genre: Alternative course of events from canon, Bad Flirting, F/M, Failed bar Pick-up, First Meetings, No interest in the other, Written in an Hour, just an interaction, mentions of polaris, no plot no resolution, somebody better at writing pls write them, undertones of sad fuck Zachariah Trench
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 11:58:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21355903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CardinalCopia/pseuds/CardinalCopia
Summary: Polaris points out a man in a bar to Jesse. She'll figure him out.
Relationships: Jesse Faden/Zachariah Trench
Kudos: 14





	You come here often?

**Author's Note:**

> Revives my shitty ao3 account to post fics of unpopular fandoms. Fuck yes. This ship is great, though, she's bound to his ghost so how can I not love it?

Polaris leads her to him. She could feel it… this wasn’t an accident but the purpose of it is still unsure to Jesse. There had to be a good reason, she would show him to her—pick the man out from the crowd at this shitty bar. She was close to her goal, but as to how he played into it, it was unclear.

Faden steps carefully up the bar, next to where he sat, drinking alone. He seemed positively miserable, inspiring pity in the young woman’s gut. She decides on a careful route, to play coy around him until she could figure it out. Notes that his lapel clearly had a pin in it, but currently it was removed, leaving a small hole in the fabric. Something had to give, her gut and Polaris both muttered about it, up in the air as to why this could be.

“It’s not polite to stare.” The man says as if to scold a child. Jesse smiles, turns away and orders her own drink.

“I can’t help it.” She objects somewhat, but weakly. She’ll have to pretend, she’ll have to swallow her pride and let this go so it’d play out nicely. “Kind of hard not to when a man looks old and handsome.” She never really had a thing for older guys, but this approach could work. Who wouldn’t melt under a pretty girl’s compliment?

There’s a sharp laugh that escapes him, and he downs what little there’s left of his drink then and motions for another. She looks down at her freshly placed drink, pays the bartender upfront.

“Not to mention, you look upset.” She says, tone somewhat teasing. Rest her head against her palm and returning her gaze at him.

“What’s it to you? Got a savior complex specializing in random drunks?” Oh, he was not fun, was he? Fine, she can go with that, too.

“Fuck off, so what if I’m trying to help you out of your despair?” She drops her arm, sits up straight and drinks.

“I wouldn’t waste your time if I were you.” He’s wallowing, clearly.

“Got into an argument with the wife, I take it.” There’s mild bite there. She wants to get to the point, maybe skip the bullshit foreplay.

“Don’t have one.” That’s interesting, but it made sense—there was no ring on his finger.

“Bad break up?” Girlfriends or such were not unheard of for dudes like this, the guy dressed nicely; he probably didn’t want to settle down and commit. Dirty old men slept around a lot, regardless. She didn’t like it, though.

“No, I have been single for over a decade now.” His drink gets placed in front of him and he wastes no time in picking it up. Doesn’t drink it, yet, despite that he turns to face her and that’s more than enough to know for Jesse she was onto something. She’ll get him talking.

“Must be lonely.” Jesse says before she has time to think about it too much. She still considers he must have had somebody, made no other sense to her. Even she had boyfriends and girlfriends over the years, despite her self-assigned mission. She will figure this guy out, Polaris wouldn’t trick her. He had to have some information; she just needed to get to it.

“Sure, but if it’s anything to you, I’m usually this way.” The guy looks at her, looking slightly curious.

“What way?” Jesse plays dumb. It’s more for his benefit than hers.

“Sad and lonely, I guess.” He mutters it, seemingly uncomfortable with it. She wonders how much he drank. She doesn’t know he’s been here for hours, downing one whiskey after another, that he’s tipsy, actually and of course, she doesn’t know he recognizes her. But that’s a whole other ordeal. Jesse doesn’t know they’re both trying to play each other. But to his benefit, he doesn’t either.

“Would you like to not be or are you content immersing yourself in it?” She leans toward him.

“Some people just don’t deserve to be happy—“He begins, but doesn’t get to finish his point.

“Bullshit.” Her interjection catches him off guard, he looks at her surprised if only mildly so. “You sound like just another nihilistic prick when you say that.”

“Maybe I am then.” He smiles softly; it’s a good look on him.

“Shut up.” Jesse shakes her head, sips her drink. He does just so. Stays utterly quiet, but he doesn’t turn from her.

“I’m Jesse, by the way.” She finally decides to introduce herself, he stays quiet. “You’re not going to say who you are?”

“I didn’t realize I was permitted to speak again.” He’s annoying her. He drinks then, a large gulp, doesn’t taste it as it goes straight down. He’s only there to get drunk.

“Well, what’s your name?” She encourages, sounding soft.

“Zachariah.” He’s not looking at her right away as he says it, simply glaring at his drink for a second, before raising his eyes back up.

“Well then, Zachariah, would you like to do something fun?” She smiles, all pretty and whatnot. He contemplates for a second, decides to pretend not to catch on.

“I’m not sure; the pool table seems to be occupied by that group over there, so it seems there’s no other fun, just drinking.”

Jesse sighs. Reaches for his tie and pulls it out of the waistcoat, tugs him forward.

“How about we go back to your place—”

“Rather not.” Hard to argue with that.

“My place then? Though, I’m staying at a shithole right now.”

He nods, but his expression is more contemplative. He isn’t agreeing.

“Don’t know. You seem too young for me.” So maybe he wasn’t as sleazy as he looked. But that’s only a maybe.

“What can I do to convince you otherwise?”

“Listen, in another life, this might work, but for now—I’m not interested.” Jesse’s losing patience. This usually worked fine.

“You’re no fun.” She pulls back, sips more of her drink. Zachariah places his tie back into its spot behind the vest.

“I’ve been told so.” He says, as he downs the last of his drink, places a small pile of bills on the bar for the bartender to collect soon after. “I’m leaving now, as should you—your family’s probably worried sick.” The man says, just as he gets up and leaves, words spouting with venom.

Faden looks after him as he walks out, rests her cheek against the palm of her hand again.

Okay, so maybe this was an abysmal failure… At least she knew to keep an eye out for that prick. She’ll figure out what he’s up to, sooner or later.


End file.
